Reviewing a crazy night

The Devils will not have a morning skate today after Friday's crazy, 8-5 victory over the Rangers at Prudential Center.

So, I won't have any update on Travis Zajac or be able to tell you whether Scott Clemensen or Kevin Weekes will start in net tonight against Buffalo until later this afternoon.

As soon as I get word if Petr Vrana passes though waivers after today's noon deadline, I will post that information.

Friday night's game was one of the odder ones I've covered. So much happened, it was difficult to keep up at times. That was not an easy game to write about. Too much to fit into one short story in the newspaper.

Anyway, here's some things that slipped through the cracks:

**There were four fights, including Zajac's first in his three seasons in the NHL. That one didn't go so well for him. He was leveled pretty good by Dan Girardi on that hit and took a beating in the fight too. Jamie Langenbrunner also had a fight with Ryan Callahan with 3:43 remaining. That was his first start of the season.

**The Devils scored eight goals for the first time since an 8-2 win at Tampa Bay on Nov. 25, 2005. The last time the Devils and an opponent combined for 13 goals was an 8-6 wion at Boston on March 19, 1994. The Devils had a 7-6 shootout win over Toronto on Oct. 12, 2006, but only 12 goals were actually scored in that game. The winner of the shootout is awarded a team goal.

**It was the 17th time the Devils scored at least eight goals in a home game and the first time at Prudential Center. They hadn't scored eight goals at home since an 8-2 win over Buffalo on Feb. 25, 2004 at the Meadowlands.

**It was the 10th time in team history that the Devils scored two shorthanded goals in one game. Before Friday, they hadn't done it since Oct. 16, 1993 in a 6-3 win over the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum. They have never scored more than two shorthanded goals in a game.

**Zach Parise had a career-high four assists and equaled his career-best with four points.

**Brian Gionta had a goal and three assists. The three assists and four points equaled his career highs.

**The line of Patrik Elias (one goal, two assists), Dainius Zubrus (one goal, two assists) and Gionta combined for 10 points (three goals, seven assists).

**The line of Parise, Zajac (two goals) and Langenbrunner (one goal, one assist) combined for eight points (three goals, five assists).

**For the Rangers, the line of Markus Naslund (one goal, one assist), Scott Gomez (one goal, two assists) and Nikolai Zherdev (one goal, three assists) combined for nine points (three goals and six assists),  Zherdev was on the ice for six goals against, however, including both Devils' shorthanders and finished minus-two on a night in which he had four points.

**John Madden was minus-3 for the Devils. Linemates Brian Rolston and Jay Pandolfo were both minus-2. Colin White (minus-1) was the only other Devil who had a minus rating in the game.

**Wade Redden was minus-4 for the Rangers and on the ice for both Devils' shorthanded goals.

**It was a good night for the Devils' special teams. They killed off all nine Rangers' power plays and scored two shorthanded goals. They also scored a power-play goal.

**For those of you keeping score (and I might be the only one). Zajac has seven goals and 12 assists for 19 points in 26 games. Brandon Dubinsky has five goals and 12 assists for 17 points in 32 games. Do you think Dubinsky misses playing with Jaromir Jagr?

Comments

[Jeremy DiLullo]

"Do you think Dubinsky misses playing with Jaromir Jagr?" Hahaha, classic. He does for sure. What happened to all the Dubinsky is better than Parise riff raff at the beginning of last year? People are a joke.

[Kelly]

I REALLY hope Weeksie gets the nod. Clemmer was lookin a little shaky but it was a GREAT game by a lot of the guys. Any idea who's in net for Buffalo tonight?

[Speedz]

Clemmensen has had a lot of workload, i'd like to see weekes given a chance.

[Murph]

i think clemmensen made some good saves..he did let up 2 weak goals that i can remember( mara and callahan)..i think this will be a good day to give weekes the chance to play again...

[njteech]

Thanks TG for stats...Hope Travis is OK, if he sits he earned alittle time off to recover from a tough game. I think Coach Sutter will start Weekes, seems to make sense, back to back games and Clemmer's less that average play. Look foward to your update......

[Robbie]

I'm just glad when I woke up and that the game last night wasn't a dream

[DP]

eh id say at least 3 of the goals were weak

[JJ]

The $6.5 million dollar man was a -4 and on the ice for 2 shorties. Mmwahahahahaha, 5&2/3 more years of overpaid mediocrity Rags fans. Oh but you guys are used to signing big name UFA's that end up being busts aren't you?

I hope all the people who did nothing but bash certain players and laud others on this site are trading in their Vrana jerseys for Salvador, Zubrus, Elias, Oduya & Zajac jerseys.

[Airsilks]

Maddog -3? Such a great year last year and has not been himself to date in a contract year no less. Maybe this helps in resigning him at a pretty fair salary. Pando got a nice deal for him in my opinion during the last offseason, though he was underpaid in years prior. He needs to step it up too. And that first goal of the game last night only went in because Jay missed and didn't get all of that shot, more or less making it like an offspeed pitch fooling the Queen

[drewbee30]

WHAT A GAME!!! My voice hurts, my legs are shot from jumping around, my back hurts from some dude constantly jumping on it after every devils goal, good times last nite!! It was very refreshing to finally beat this team (and light up supposedly the "BEST" goalie in the NHL)and it showed. Leaving the building it just felt as if a monkey had been lifted off everyones back. The 94 nevermore chant was priceless. Anyone catch Hanks post-game interview, I think he had just got done balling his eyes out. F'IN HEADCASE!!!! I wouldnt be shocked tonite if the Devils come out flat tonite, so if they lose hopefully everyone will relax and take it in stride.

[Arteg]

Wow, TG, you're all over this stuff. Great work as always. I definitely think Weekes has to get the nod tonight. I think Clemmer's been all we could've hoped for and more, but he's playing more now than he ever has and I think a few days off would do wonders. I sometimes think that Clemmer is closing his eyes when making saves; a lot of shots to the glove hand that would seem catchable are put back in play. What's with that?

[Guy]

I thoroughly enjoyed the outcome. That said I have a huge issue with the refs. It seems that every time the Devils and rags play, the refs tilt the ice in favor of the rags. I wont say its a fix, but come on. Refs were abysmal last night.

[Puckster]

Zajac got hammered in the fight, but it wasn't really a fair one. Girardi just pounced on him after the gloves were dropped. There was no squaring up. I loved hearing Daneyko's comments after the game about that. He seemed upset that nobody settled the score with Girardi after the Zajac fight.

[95-00-03]

Devils fans are tough to please. You guys gotta stop the whining. We beat a team we havent been able to beat in a long time last night by 3 goals!

We are in great shape to take the top seed in the division without the greatest goaltender of all time in the lineup and you guys still seem to find a way to find faults - give me a break.

That game was one of the best games of the year and I enjoyed every minute of it. The team really played great imo and I am sooo glad that monkey is off our back and the rags fans
left our building without anything to cheer about.

I say we beat Buffalo tonight and will be in 2nd place at games end.

GO DEVILS!

[Rico Suave]

95-00-03...took the words right out of my mouth

i'm going to the game tonight...haven't been this proud to be a devils fan in years.

[JerseyLove]

The entire Madden line was atrocious. They need to pick up their game.

[AK47]

Hey TG,I belive that was another game with 13 goals combined like 2 years ago at Meadowlands vs Toronto when Marty has to leave the net after fifth goal and Gionta tied the game with seconds in regulation and then we won in shootouts. It was at the beginning of the season. I remember Madden had 2 goals and Gionta had 2. Was that the one you refered to but you sad it was vs Tampa?

[Checcho]

Petr Vrana goes unclaimed. Vrana will be in Lowells lineup tonight. (personal info)

[Checco]

Petr Vrana goes unclaimed. Vrana will be in Lowells lineup tonight. (personal info)

[Vishal]

I hope that's true.

[Jason]

I've been saying that Madden/Pando are really off their defensive game. I think its simply a case of them getting older though. Rolston on the other hand...was the worst player on the ice last night. HE better pick up his game and earn that fat paycheck.

[Frankie D]

Luckily Jason, we got Pando signed through 2010-11 and Rolston to 2011-12 when he will be 40!

[JJ]

Those who are killing Rolston obviously never sprained their ankle severely and then tried to skate every day let alone played hockey every other night at any level. He's said it hurts but NO hockey player is ever going to admit that they are hurt, they want to play. If he wasn't better than the other options the team has don't you think the coaching staff and management would hold him back or rest him here and there? Rolston will be fine folks. He's obviously not 100%, his speed is not close to what it will be and he's shaking off 6 weeks of rust from his timing and hands. Be patient and be happy that we are playing the best hockey of the season thus far with him not 100% and oh yeah I almost forgot...no Marty. 95-00-03, you nailed it man.

[Guy]

Does anyone other than me want the Devils to petition the refs? It was absolutely abysmal last night and it looked like they tried to give the rags the game. Absolutely horrible, and insults me as a hockey fan.

["Dr. D" David Schultz]

AK that was the 2006 home opener...I think we were down 6-3 and gio brought us back and we won in the shootout...

I believe the last 8 goal home game was 2004 against buffalo..8 to 2...